How-To Geek

If there's one kind of app where the GUI gets in the way of functionality, it's a VPN interface. That's why the command-line interface is my favorite way of launching and interacting with a VPN app. It's always faster, and doesn't take up any extra resources. I started using a command-line VPN about a year ago, and I have not gone back to the GUI for VPN since.

A clean Linux install doesn’t come with many pre-configured apps, and that can leave new users wondering where to start—unsure of what they actually need for a smooth, functional system. To remove that guesswork, here are five essential Linux apps you should install on day one.

On Christmas day this week, the team behind the popular CachyOS Linux distribution published a "2025 recap" blog post looking back how the distro has changed over the year, and also previewing what's to come. One thing previewed was CachyOS for NAS and other server devices.

You have it way easier these days, but back in the day, when you wanted to play a game on your PC, you had to take a similar approach to consoles. Go to a physical store, get a disc, then pop it into your PC. Chances are, though, that nowadays your PC doesn't have a CD drive. So what do you do when you want to play your old games on your new PC?

I've used a lot of open-source software over the years, and much of it has passed through my Windows machines at one point or another. Some tools stick around because they are free, others because they avoid the bloat and unnecessary features that often come with commercial software. Open source tends to focus on doing one job well, and that alone is usually enough to earn a spot on my system.

In this week’s roundup of Raspberry Pi projects that I want to do but haven’t yet, it’s time to take a look at some sensor-based projects. From building a DIY thermal camera to help you hunt down the air leak in your house to assembling an outdoor weather or air quality station, here are three Raspberry Pi projects to try this weekend.

Your Linux distro comes pre-packaged with a wealth of powerful networking tools, including some that can diagnose common problems or help you monitor suspicious connections. But as with all things Linux, it's hard to know where to start. So, here are some essential networking commands you need to know.

For families shopping for a midsize SUV, efficiency has become just as important as space, comfort, and safety. Fuel prices remain unpredictable, and with the average new vehicle now costing over $50,000, buyers want something that keeps long-term ownership costs in check. That’s where this standout hybrid SUV separates itself from the pack, delivering class-leading fuel economy without sacrificing the room and versatility families rely on every day.

During this post-Christmas long weekend, you’re probably looking for some homelab projects to tackle. Well, I have your back! Today, I’m showing you three ways you can sever your dependence on big tech and save money while taking privacy into your own hands.

Every week I hunt down useful software that runs on Linux computers, and while I don't end up using all of them full-time, there are some that have stayed in my normal workflow. These are the apps that, looking back over the past year, were my favorite to write about and use myself.

Whether you're still basking in the holiday glow or you're just looking to take a brain break from all the excitement, a few episodes (or 10) of something easy to binge could be the distraction you need.

Planning a trip for the new year? Here's one thing you probably haven't thought about—roaming charges.

As you move into your post-holiday food-binge weekend, it’s probably best to take it easy and let all that seasonal yumminess settle so you can properly refuel your energy tank. To do that, you’re going to need some high-quality, verified-bingeworthy content to watch, and I’ve got you covered with three series boasting extremely high Rotten Tomatoes scores. All you need to bring is the popcorn.

Microsoft has no shortage of productivity apps, but one of its most genuinely useful tools is also one of the easiest to miss. If you subscribe to Microsoft 365, you already have access to Microsoft Planner, a lightweight project organizer tucked inside 365 suite. It is straightforward for personal projects and structured enough for small teams, which is why it ends up being more helpful than people expect.

Picture this: you need to find or count cells containing asterisks (*) or question marks (?) in Excel, but you're getting incorrect results. This is because asterisks and question marks are wildcard characters. The solution? Excel's essential escape character, the tilde (~).

Gift cards are great, but when your physical wallet already has a ton of stuff in it, it can be easy to lose them in the chaos and completely forget about your free money. By adding your gift cards to Google Wallet, you'll be much more likely to remember them. Doing this is easy.

With Christmas out of the way and the new year on the horizon, I bet you're sitting around and struggling to find something decent to watch. That's why I've found these three shows on Netflix that deserve your attention.

VS Code is one of the most popular open-source (mostly) applications out there, and for good reason: It does everything you could ask for and then some. However, it also has always-on telemetry that you cannot disable. That is where VSCodium comes into play.

If you’ve just got a new PC, connected everything, booted up the system, fired up your favorite game, and realized it runs super slowly, you might’ve made an honest mistake that many new PC gamers make.

The Ruby programming language continues its tradition of delivering major updates on Christmas Day, announcing the release of Ruby 4.0.0, which introduces two massive new experimental features: the isolation mechanism known as Ruby Box and the next-generation just-in-time compiler, ZJIT.